What are some facts about the Blue Ridge Mountains?

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Some interesting facts about the Blue Ridge Mountains are that they are part of the larger Appalachian Mountain range, and its highest peak is Mt. Mitchell found in North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Mountains extend from the region of Georgia to parts of Pennsylvania on the eastern area of the United States.

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Sections of the Blue Ridges Mountains are located in different states, such as Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia. The "blue" in the name of this mountain range refers to its bluish appearance when viewed from a distance. This is due to trees releasing a substance called isoprene into the air.

Although Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak with a height of 6,684 feet, there are more than 100 peaks that are over 5,000 feet. Additionally, over 30 mountain peaks are higher than 6,000 feet.

The rocks that formed this mountain range are many millions of years old. The different rock types are granite, gneiss and limestone. The Blue Ridge Mountains has forests with a variety of animal and plants, including grass, stunted oak and hemlock, wild turkey, bears and whitetail deer.

The Blue Ridge Mountains has some famous tourist attractions, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Luray Caverns, Natural Bridge and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Natural Bridge is a stone bridge, which formed through the erosion of rock by water. Many of these attractions are in the Virginia Blue Ridge region.